For Him
by KColl2003
Summary: When Angelus takes Xander Buffy has a decision to make - her lover or her brother?
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Just to prove I could.  
  
For Him (B/X)  
  
"Cordy run," Xander kept his eyes on the figure approaching them from the mouth of the alley..  
  
"I..I'm not leaving you," his girlfriend replied, her voice trembling with the very fear that held his stomach in its tight, unshakeable grip..  
  
"GO!"  
  
Satisfied by the sound of Cordy's retreating feet behind him he pulled his stake out and readied himself. "Come on Deadboy," he hated the tremble in his voice, "I've got wood for you. Being as you're an obviously Ann Rice vampire you'll probably like it."  
  
Angelus grinned. "Oh Xander, I never guessed." Suddenly the master vampire lunged forward. Xander thrust his stake upwards but the vampire grabbed his wrist in an unmoveable grip and rocked him with a backhanded slap to the mouth. "Pathetic, boy really pathetic."  
  
"Pathetic?" he butted the vampire in the face. "How's that for pathetic?"  
  
"Better," Xander felt a rib crack as the vampire drove a knee up into his stomach, doubling him up in agony, "but not good enough." His head exploded in pain as the vampire slammed a fist into the back of his head, sending him plunging into unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
Buffy stopped her kata at the sound of the library doors flying. Turning she saw a distraught Cordelia rushing towards her, tears streaking down the brunette's finely sculpted cheeks. Her heart missed a beat as she realised that Cordelia had been out on a date with Xander. She raced to meet the taller girl. "Cordy what's wron-, ow!"  
  
The library reverberated to the sound of her friend's girlfriend's fist slamming into her mouth, staggering her. Eyes flaming she moved to strike back only to stop at Cordy's next words. "What wrong?" the brunette screamed. "What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong, your mass-murdering boyfriend decided to make our date a threesome and kidnaps my boy-friend, that's what wrong!"  
  
Buffy felt her legs go shaky. "X..Xander," she whispered.  
  
"Yeah Xander you stupid bitch. Remember him? The guy who brought you back to life when you died -."  
  
"Cordelia that's enough!"  
  
The brunette looked away from her to Giles. "No, it's not nearly enough," the brunette turned to leave, "my boyfriend's dead because she won't kill a soulless vampire. Remember when I ran this school? Well Queen C is back and I'm going to make every day at this school a living hell for you."  
  
"Cordelia wait!"  
  
After a second the brunette turned back towards the Englishman. "Yes Giles?" the cheerleader had tried for her usual superior tone but the effect was ruined by her tear-streaked face and shaking voice.  
  
"We need to find out what we can about Angelus' movements."  
  
"Why?" Cordelia noted. "So that she can catch up with her pet vamp and make doe eyes at him?"  
  
"Cordelia you're not helping," her Watcher replied , his tone stern. "Buffy is Xander's only chance."  
  
"Some chance," the brunette sighed, "so what do you want to know?"  
  
"Did you see," Giles took a breath, "did you see Angelus kill Xander?"  
  
"No, Angelus said he was going to take me and torture me for a few days before moving onto the next one of us. Xander told me to get help. Although from where I don't know," the cheerleader fixed her with one of her withering glares. "Apparently Angelus wants to see how many of us he could kill before she'd actually go after him."  
  
Buffy dropped her eyes. "I'll find him," she whispered.  
  
"And do what?" Cordelia sneered, her composure returning. "Ask him nicely if you can have Xander's," the cheerleader's voice shook slightly, "body back?" The cheerleader turned towards the door.  
  
"I'll walk you home."  
  
Cordelia snorted at her offer. "A Slayer who won't fight vampires. I feel safer already. Stay out of my way Summers, you're going to pay for this. I guarantee it."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander jerked to consciousness, the ice on his face awakening him. He bit back a curse as he realised it wasn't ice on his face but Dru's cold palm. "Hello kitten," cooed the insane vampiress.  
  
He took a second to take in his surroundings. He was tied to a chair in a cold, dark cavern, his only company an insane vampiress who had a thing for him. He doubted he'd been in worse situations "Hi Dru," he forced a smile, "always a pleasure."  
  
"Oh so charming," he managed not to flinch as the vampiress began to run a stone cold finger down his naked torso, "what a well-bred boy."  
  
"Not hardly, you really want to meet my dad."  
  
"Hush baby, don't talk about nasty Tony," Xander blinked before remembering Drusilla was psychic.  
  
Thoughts about what else the raven-haired beauty was dredging from the confused depths of his mind were interrupted by the appearance of Spike in the doorway. "Alright whelp," crowed the Billy Idol lookalike.  
  
"Alright Ironside," he taunted.  
  
His blood froze at the mocking laugh that came from behind the wheel- chaired vampire. Angelus stepped in the doorway behind Spike, a grin on his face. "You messed up my plans tonight boy. I wanted to go Cordelia, Oz, you, Willow, Giles, and then Joyce before destroying Buffy. I had a nice order worked out, but," the vampire shook his head, "you had to get involved."  
  
"I aim to please."  
  
Angelus laughed again. "Always with the smart mouth, ah well," Angelus shrugged, "I somehow think I'm going to enjoy torturing you more than the others," Xander bit back a gasp as the master vampire pulled a dust cover off a previously unnoticed table to reveal a variety of torture instruments - garden shears, knives, blow torches, and baseball bats were just some of them.  
  
"I'll bear that in mind," suddenly he couldn't think of anything clever to say. And soon he wasn't speaking at all, just screaming, his pain accompanied by the vampires' laughs.  
  
* * *  
  
"Any news?"  
  
Buffy looked up to see Willow and Oz hovering over her, Cordelia close by, listening in while appearing not to be part of the conversation. She shook her head. "No sign Will, say do you," her voice trailed off as her friend walked off. After an apologetic smile Oz hurried after her. "Sit down," she muttered before staring listlessly down at her barely touched lasagne. Three days had passed since Angel-, Angelus had snatched Xander, three days where her friend had doubtless been hideously tortured. She'd torn every demon hang-out in town apart, stamped on every skull she could find. Nothing.  
  
Her mom was asking why Xander and Willow hadn't been round to there's, she thought they'd had a fight - if only. None of her friends were talking to her, Giles only spoke to her during patrol and training, and she'd overheard a rumour, probably spread by Cordelia, that the reason Xander wasn't in school was because she'd given him a STD. But as bad as things were for her. "I'll save him," she whispered.  
  
* * *  
  
Xander bit back a scream as Angelus drove a stake through his left arm, sending blood gushing. "Oh daddy!" Drusilla jumped up and down on the spot, her face suddenly excited. "he has such lovely eyes. Can I have his eyes?"  
  
"When he's dead dear," Angel slammed a fist into his gut. "When's he's dead, Daddy will give you a present."  
  
"Oh!" the vampiress began to jump even higher. "Not long then!"  
  
Xander let out a rattling gasp. If he could just hold on he knew, he just knew Buffy would come for him.  
  
* * *  
  
"I tell you that bastard the boss has got now, man he can scream!"  
  
"Doesn't give in though does he?" the second vampire shot back. "Gotta give him that, the boss gets real pissed with him that's for bloody sure."  
  
"Yeah," the first vampire admitted, "but he'll break they always do."  
  
Buffy sprang from behind the pillar she'd been hiding behind, staking the first vampire before he had a chance to react. She tackled the second around the waist sending him crashing to the ground, pinned him to the ground, and slammed her fist repeatedly into her opponent's face. She'd come to Angel's mansion, hoping against hope to find some lead to where he might be hiding but to stumble across two of his minions was even better. "Where is he?" she demanded.  
  
"I can't -, aww!" the vampire screamed as she pressed a gold chain against the vampire's face. Soon the stench of burning flesh filled the room, churning her stomach. But despite that, and the vampire's violent struggling, she held on, repeating her question until the vampire let out a piteous scream. "The catacombs! The Master's catacombs!"  
  
Buffy nodded. "Thanks." After driving her stake through the vampire's heart she stood, her heart pounding furiously. She'd finally found him, but the Master's Tunnels? For a second she closed her eyes, the images of the night she'd died threatening to overwhelm her. She didn't know if she cou-, she shook her head. She could for him.  
  
* * *  
  
"Tell me you want to die!" Angelus slammed another foot into the boy's stomach. Normally the groan that followed his attack would have been enough to send him into a state of near-orgasm. Not this time. The boy was proving infuriatingly difficult to break.  
  
"Not," the youth led on the ground took a long, tortured breath, "until I see Buffy standing over your ashes."  
  
"Buffy? Kill me? Why? For you?" Angelus laughed. "She doesn't even notice you're alive boy." He smiled as he sensed a Slayer's presence near- by. Time to get some taunts in, once he'd killed her in front of Xander, the boy would break. "There you were forcing cowardly little Angel into the tunnels to save her. Who did she run to after you gave her the kiss of life? Me, that's who. And then there was the night you stopped me from taking her in the hospital, did she show any gratitude," he emphasised his words with a kick, "not an iota. I own her!"  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Buffy stepped into the cavern mouth, sword in hand and set expression on her face.  
  
"Ah Buffy," he drew his sword, "fashionably late as always. How do you like my work?" He smirked as the Slayer blanched, humans with their weak stomachs and their consciences, that was their Achilles heels.  
  
"Not much!" The Slayer lunged forward, forcing him back with a thrust of her wood-tipped blade at his heart. She tried for a decapitating slash, but he leaned away from it before delivering a lightning riposte that ripped a blood furrow across the blonde's sword arm.  
  
Such a wound should have caused her drop her weapon or at least draw back but the Slayer barely seemed to notice the injury. Instead she leapt into the air, launching herself into a crescent kick that connected squarely with his jaw, staggering him backwards. Wincing at the pain, he lashed wildly at the blonde who slid smoothly under his attack, coming up within his defences with a slash at his head that he only just managed to block, his arm jarring with the impact, wincing as he felt her greater strength.  
  
Back-pedaling furiously, he slashed at the advancing blonde's throat only for her to sway almost beneath from his attack, his blade catching her above her right eye, opening a slight tear, and retaliate with a stab that tore a bloody furrow across the bicep of his sword-arm sending a lancing pain up it. Grimacing at the agony he decided to play dirty and thrust the thumb of his free hand deep into her eye, momentarily blinding her. A grin on his face, the vampire sent a thrust at the Slayer's unprotected heart. Buffy's sword flickered instinctively upwards, parrying his attack and locking their swords together into a warrior's embrace. Immediately he drove his head into her nose, shattering it, and sending her stumbling in retreat. Angelus opened his mouth to deliver a taunt only for his world explode in pain when the Slayer drove a foot hard into his groin. Doubling up under the attack, he was helpless to prevent the Slayer's blade cut into his neck.  
  
* * *  
  
The instant Angelus burst into ash, Buffy rushed over to Xander's side. As she knelt down she gasped at her friend's battered condition. From the cavern's doorway he'd looked bad but now she could see there didn't seem to be an inch of his body that wasn't bleeding, bruised, or burnt. For a second she was caught in a quandary, she should ring for an ambulance but that would take too long and if she did that they might not come being Sunnydale, night and underground. "Xander," she whispered and smiled as her friend's eyes fluttered open, "it's me I'm going to have to pick you up and carry you to the hospital."  
  
"Knew you'd come," her friend muttered.  
  
"You killed daddy!"  
  
Buffy's heart fell as she looked up to see Drusilla and Spike in the doorway. With her injuries she couldn't hope to survive another fight, she'd failed him. She started to stand. Her eyes widened as the wheel- chaired Spike miraculously rose from behind Drusilla, grabbed her head and slammed it into the wall, catching her as she fell. "You did me a right good turn today Slayer," drawled Spike as he cradled the vampires in his arms, "killing the poofter so I'm going to do you one now. Me and Dru are going to piss off, unless you've objections." Buffy glanced down at Xander's body, she couldn't risk it, and finally she shook her head. Spike nodded, turned, then turned back. "Hey love, here's a tip. You might want to look after that lad. He wouldn't deny you."  
  
"Deny me?"  
  
"No matter what the poof did to him he wouldn't say that you wouldn't come for him. That you didn't care about him, that you were scared of the poof. He believed in you girl. Drove the poof bloody mad he did."  
  
* * *  
  
Buffy glanced down at the sleeping body, the hushed silence of the hospital room only broken by the beeping of his life support machine. His list of injuries were extensive, four broken fingers, a severe concussion, five broken ribs, two dislocated shoulders, internal bleeding, several infected wounds, burns, and scalds all over his body. But she was going to look after him. "Whatever it takes Xander," she whispered, "I'll protect you." He'd never lost his trust in her, she'd always be there for him, she owed him that. 


	2. 2

FOR HIM (2/2)  
  
Xander winced as he tried to lift his holdall. "No Xander," Buffy scolded, "you've still got stitches remember. Let me."  
  
He smiled weakly at his friend. "Well if I've got a super-hero waiting on me hand and foot, who am I argue."  
  
Buffy shook her head. "Just you wait until you're fit you doofus!" the blonde turned serious. "How do you feel about moving in with Giles?"  
  
Xander thought for a second. Apparently the night he'd been brought into the hospital G-Man had called 'Tony and Jess' to tell him he was here. When his parents had showed their usual casual indifference an enraged G- Man had informed them that their son was moving in with him. Wisely for them, his parents hadn't protested. "I just hope this means I won't be permanently eating crumpets and scones," he joked, hiding his true gratitude behind his usual clownish exterior.  
  
"I'll smuggle you in some Twinkies!" the blonde's answering laugh died as G- Man entered the room pushing a wheelchair.  
  
Xander looked in confusion from Giles and the suddenly silent Slayer. In the month he'd been in hospital Buffy had rarely visited her at the same time as the others and there was always a strained silence whenever Buffy was in the same room as any of the others. He'd been too exhausted to find out why but now he was feeling better he was determined to find out what was happening.  
  
He looked at the empty wheelchair being pushed by the Watcher. "Who's that for?"  
  
"You," the Englishman replied flatly. He began to shake his head, the Watcher sighed. "Xander it is hospital policy, all long-term patients must leave in a wheelchair. Or you could stay here?"  
  
"Okay," he nodded reluctantly.  
  
The Watcher nodded. "Buffy," the Watcher's voice grew cold, impersonal, "could you please push Xander out," the Watcher took his bag from the Slayer, "I'll get the car."  
  
"Do you want to get in the front or the back Xander?"  
  
Xander looked at Giles' Citroen as he considered his answer. "I'll get in the back thanks Buff. More room to sprawl," he replied, and maybe they'll talk to one another if I'm in the back, he silently added.  
  
"Well that car journey was fun," Xander muttered as the CV pulled up outside the G-Man's apartment. His plan hadn't worked; the trip had been completed in near-silence with the only conversation going through him.  
  
"Buffy, could you help Xander upstairs please? I'll bring his bag up once you've got him in his room."  
  
"So," he gasped his forehead beading with sweat as his friend aided him upstairs. Despite the very welcome compensation of his friend's closeness, the effort of climbing the stairs was hell, every step agony, "you often escort men to their rooms Buff?"  
  
His friend laughed. "What are you implying?"  
  
"You work it out Buff."  
  
"We're here Xander," the girl pushed open a door on the landing.  
  
"Wow," Xander fought back tears at his room. It was so neat, tidy, somehow he couldn't imagine G-Man suddenly bounding into his room to unleash a mouthful of abuse and throw a few things to the ground before stumbling off to collapse in a drunken stupor like his dad did. "This is my room?"  
  
"Indeed it is Xander." Wincing at the effort he turned to see Giles entering behind him. "I trust it meets with your satisfaction?"  
  
"It's great thanks Giles," Xander's mouth dropped open as he noticed a computer on the desk beside the window. "A computer?"  
  
The Watcher smiled wryly. "Yes, Willow informs me that a 486 with 400 MHz, 64 MB RAM, on-board modem and 10 GB hard drive is top of the range. I never thought I'd have an infernal machine in my house but needs must."  
  
"Thanks G-Man," once again he felt his eyes burn with tears.  
  
"My pleasure Xander. But I will expect a significant improvement in your grades as payment," at his dutiful nod the Watcher turned towards Buffy, his smile dying. "Thank you for your help Buffy, you can go now."  
  
The blonde pouted. "I was hoping to hang with Xander."  
  
"Miss Summers," Giles' voice took on a stern note, "Xander needs his rest after his ordeal. Furthermore, your mother only allowed you to accompany us on the understanding that you return to school immediately."  
  
"Okay," the blonde nodded, the hurt in her eyes causing Xander's blood to boil, "I'll see you Xander." Xander forced his temper under control. Now was not the time. "Thanks for helping me Buffy." Later when Buffy was gone he'd tackle Giles.  
  
* * *  
  
"Xander," he opened his eyes at the Watcher's whisper. "Do you want anything to eat or drink? Anything at all?"  
  
He shook his head. "The only thing I want is an explanation."  
  
The Englishman's brow furrowed. "For what?"  
  
"For why you're giving Buff the third eye."  
  
Giles' face tightened. "The relationship between a Watcher and his Slayer is none of -."  
  
"Fine!" Xander winced as the shout sent pain reverberating through his body. "In that case I'll go round to Buffy's and stay there, Mrs. Summers said I could have a bed."  
  
"Oh bloody sit down," the Watcher sighed before sitting on the edge of his bed. "It started when Angelus kidnapped you, I was so angry with her for not protecting you, so soon after Jenny, I began to pull away from her. Then when she started to search for you, I finally believed she would confront Angelus and I became frightened, frightened that Angelus would kill her. Since then I have decided it is better that I keep our relationship on a strictly professional basis."  
  
"You don't have a clue do you?" Xander shook his head in disgust. "She's already had one father desert her, what do you think you're doing to her by doing the same? You're leeching the spirit out of her!"  
  
"Oh bloody hell," Giles smiled wryly, "you are rather more perceptive than I would believe. I'll speak to her tomorrow. Now do you want anything to eat?"  
  
Xander nodded in satisfaction. His work here was done. "I'll have a smoothie please."  
  
The Watcher shook his head. "I knew this was a mistake," he smiled wryly, "what flavour - chocolate, vanilla, banana, strawberry?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Buffy, can I speak to you in private please?"  
  
Buffy nodded miserably, what had she done wrong this time? "Guys I'll meet you at Xand-," she turned to speak to Willow and the others only to slump in dejection when she saw the others exit the library. "Never mind," she muttered before taking a breath and turning back to face the Englishman. "What's up Giles?" she tried and failed for a cheerful tone.  
  
"Buffy I'm," the Watcher paused to rub his glass lenses, "sorry." Her mouth dropped open, Giles was apologising. "Over the past few weeks I've behaved like a perfect prig," suddenly she burst into tears. "Oh botheration." She felt Giles' arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. "There, there, Buffy. There's no need for that." Despite her own upset she couldn't help but laugh at Giles' perplexed tone. "Now young lady," Giles mock-tutted, "that's no way for a Slayer to act towards her Watcher." The Englishman's tone grew serious. "I'm sorry for the way I've behaved. At first I was so angry at you for not preventing Xander's kidnapping," she looked down in shame only for the Englishman to cup her face in his hands and ease it up until she was looking into his kind eyes. "I was afraid that if I didn't cut off my feelings I'd allow Ripper out. Then when I finally believed you'd try and save Angelus I was afraid you'd fail and wouldn't allow myself to care. When you succeeded I decided to keep our relationship on a professional level, I realise now I was wrong."  
  
"W..what changed your mind?"  
  
The Watcher smiled crookedly. "Xander persuaded me most forcefully." The Englishman paused. "I really didn't think you'd be able to deal with Angelus."  
  
"I had to for Xander."  
  
"Oh good lord," the Watcher's eyes widened, "you love him?"  
  
She nodded. "It started when Cordelia came in to tell us about Angelus kidnapping him. It hurt so much, more than anything even when Angelus returned. Then, then I overheard Angelus taunting Xander about how I'd never noticed him despite all he'd done. Giles, when I was in hospital Angelus came to turn me but Xander stopped him somehow."  
  
"Good lord," Giles' mouth dropped open, "how remarkable."  
  
"Then Spike told me how no matter what Angelus did, Xander wouldn't give up on me rescuing him."  
  
"Quite," Giles released his grip on her face, "he is a very loyal young man."  
  
"Thanks Giles," she stood. "Do you think they'll ever talk to me again?" Somehow she doubted it considering that in addition to the STD rumour, she'd heard rumours spread by Cordy that she'd slept with two teachers for better grades, half the football team, and that the reason that her and Willow stayed away from her was because she'd made passes at them both - at the same time.  
  
The Watcher smiled slightly. "They will if Xander has anything to do with it."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander broke into a smile at the sound of knocking at the front door. Visitors, he'd never thought he'd miss school but after four weeks in hospital he was heartily bored. Struggling to his feet he hurried to the front door. "Hi guys," Xander's brow furrowed as he noticed someone who was missing, "where's Buff?"  
  
"We don't hang with her anymore." Cordy said loftily.  
  
"Why not?" he allowed a hint of steel to enter his voice.  
  
"Because of what happened to you. Because of her you ended up nearly dying!" his girlfriend replied angrily, her gaze unflinching.  
  
"And it's because of her I'm still here," he countered.  
  
Cordelia shook her head. "If she hadn't been so stupid-."  
  
"Damn it all she did was sleep with a guy!" he shouted angrily. "She didn't know -," suddenly his legs grew shaky. His head spinning, he slumped against the doorframe.  
  
Cordy's face went from furious to concerned in an instant. "Oz help him inside."  
  
Oz nodded his face still expressionless. "Sure."  
  
The werewolf\guitarist allowed him to lean on him after nodding his thanks to Oz he turned his attention back to Cordy. "Look Cordy I know Buffy made mistakes about the way she dealt with Angelus, but you've got to give her another chan-."  
  
"Why?" Cordelia snapped back at him. "Do you have any idea the number of tears Willow and I spilt while you were missing? The sleepless nights we suffered?"  
  
Xander felt his temper snap. "And what about you? What about the tears you've caused Willow?"  
  
"Xander-."  
  
He ignored Willow's interruption, concentrating on Cordelia's paling face. "What about the nights in Junior High I held her crying her eyes out because of the things you and your gang of sheep had said or done?"  
  
Cordy rose shakily. "I don't have to take this!" she screamed before charging out.  
  
"That was out of line," Willow reproved.  
  
"Was it?" Xander's slow burn temper had well and truly exploded. "And how would you feel if you had to kill Oz?"  
  
"That's different," Willow's bottom lip was quivering.  
  
Normally a near waterworks Willow was enough to get him to cave in. Not today though. "Is it? Both Angel and Oz have demons inside of them. If Oz went on a murder spree would you be able to -."  
  
"I can't talk to you when you're in one of these moods!" tears streaking down her face Willow ran out of the room.  
  
After a second Oz rose, a wry grin on his lips. "Good to have you back Xander, spreading harmony."  
  
"Hey! I'll have you know I'd never spread Harmony!" he shuddered at the images the thought conjured up.  
  
Oz chuckled before becoming serious. "I'll talk to Willow," he nodded his thanks as the budding rock star hurried out.  
  
"Well that went well, even better than I expected. Welcome to your new job Xander," he spoke to the empty room his tone despairing, "UN Ambassador. A glittering career in the State Department awaits."  
  
* * *  
  
"He had no right to speak to me like that!" Willow sobbed into her boyfriend's shoulder. "There's no comparison between you and Angel."  
  
Oz nodded his agreement. "Yep, you're right." Willow looked up at him, "if I went feral," just talking about the possibility caused his stomach to clench in pain, "and you had to kill me, you'd be killing an unrecognisable beast. Buffy had to kill a monster that looked just like the man she loved."  
  
Willow dropped her gaze to the ground. "I'll ring Buffy later."  
  
Oz smiled proudly at his girlfriend. "Knew you would."  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh just great!"  
  
Giles glanced towards the hallway where Xander had just hung up the phone and made his way into the doorway. "Are you alright Xander?"  
  
"Oh my life's just coming up roses G-Man," the youth replied before dropping his eyes at his stern gaze. "Cordy's dumped me because of the argument we had over Buffy."  
  
"Oh bad luck old chap," he gently squeezed the youth's shoulder before turning away so Xander wouldn't see the slight grin on his face. He felt sorry for the youth at the moment but that made things easier for Xander and Buffy to 'go steady' as he believed the local vernacular was. "Simply splendid," he whispered..  
  
* * *  
  
Xander bit the urge to groan as he rolled out of bed at the sound of tapping on his window. Opening his window he was surprised when Buffy slid gracefully into his room and amazed when the Slayer tenderly pressed her lips to his, her hands stroking at his shoulders before she pulled away leaving him with only the memory of ecstasy.  
  
After a few seconds floating on a cloud of happiness he came back down to earth and looked at the blonde in confusion. First Cordy, and then Buffy? He couldn't get that lucky twice, could he? "What was that?  
  
"Giles is talking to me again. And," Buffy dazzled him with one of her trademark smiles, "before I left on patrol I had a phone call from Willow. Thanks Xand."  
  
"Oh," he mentally kicked himself for hoping. How stupid was he, guys like him didn't end up with girls like Buffy or Cordelia, not for long. "No problem, Buff."  
  
"Xander's what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," he refused to look into his friend's concerned eyes.  
  
"Xander."  
  
His shoulders slumped in defeat. He always caved in when Buffy put on that wheedling tone. "Fine, I had an argument with Cordelia," no point making Buffy feel guilty by telling her she was the cause, "and she dumped me. I'm back to being a dateless dork again."  
  
"Good."  
  
His head snapped up, his eyes shining with outrage. "Good! What do -," he was cut off when the Slayer pressed her lips to his with more intensity than before, her tongue sliding into his mouth, and wrestling with it its counterpart for what seemed to be an eternity of pleasure before pulling away. "What was that about?" he gasped.  
  
"It was about me and you," the Slayer looked nervous, "dating. If you want."  
  
"Me? You?" he babbled. Buffy chuckled. "That a yes or a no Xander?"  
  
"Well," regaining his composure he grinned at the diminutive blonde, Buffy wanted him, "I am considering my options. You'll have to audition for this highly prized position."  
  
"Well let's call this my audition," he yelped slightly as the Slayer grabbed his neck and lowered his head to hers while pressing her body to his. After running her tongue up his neck, making him whimper at the wonderful sensation, the Slayer eased her tongue across his bottom lip and then his top lip even as she pulled at his hair and he began to unfasten -.  
  
"Xander do you -, good lord Buffy!"  
  
Face reddening he turned to face the Englishman noting with relief that despite the stern look in his eyes, there was a slight twinkle in his mentor's eyes. "You young lady should learn to use the front door. And you Xander, you've been here one night and you have a young lady in your room. If this happens again I will have to summon the most fearsome demon I have ever met to deal with you!"  
  
Xander exchanged a worried look with Buffy. "A demon G-Man?"  
  
"Yes I'll have to phone your mother Buffy. Home now!"  
  
The blonde laughed. "You win Giles, see you tomorrow Xander!"  
  
* * *  
  
Hearing the front door click shut behind Buffy, Giles turned to Xander, his expression serious. "Xander, you know loving a Slayer is an onerous experience?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
He sighed. "Is bloody hard work."  
  
Xander sighed. "G-Man I've loved her since the first day," he smiled slightly, "it makes it a little bit easier to know she feels the same way."  
  
Giles nodded in approval. "Still, you could be setting yourself for a lot of pain. Slayers don't normally have a long life-span."  
  
He was rocked by the sudden fire in the teen's eyes. "Then we'll have to make sure Buff bucks the trend won't we G-Man?"  
  
"Indeed we will, indeed we will." He smirked as he turned away from the youth. Somehow he didn't think Buffy's 18th birthday would go quite the way the Council expected. "Splendid, simply splendid." THE END 


End file.
